Holder for flood lamps



Aug 31, 1954 M. B. AUSTIN, JR

HOLDER FOR FLOOD LAMPS Filed May 51, 1950 (ttomegs Patented Aug. 31, 1954 HOLDER FOR FLOOD LAMPS Merritt B. Austin, Jr., Deerfield, Ill., assignor to Stone Manufacturing Co., Kenilworth, N. J., a.

corporation Application May 31, 1950, Serial No. 165,203

7 Claims.

This invention relates to lamp holders, and particularly to holders for electric lamps for outdoor lighting known as reflector flood or spot lamps which have a shank and an enlarged bell end.

Holders for lamps of this character are normally` formed as a cup in which is firmly mounted a socket for receiving the contact portion of the lamp. The lip of the cupy is usually designed to engage the bell` portion of the lamp envelope, and is normally provided with a ring of soft or resilient material which cushions the glass lamp envelope and which is compressed slightly thereby to provide a tight closure for the open end of the cup, thus largely preventing access of moisture to the interior thereof.

While the lamps to be used with such holders have been substantially standardized, there are variations between lamps made byy different makers which, while slight, are still suiicient to cause diiculty. It has been found, for example, that a holder designed accurately `for the lamps with the shortest Shanks (or with large bells) will not properly weather-seal against the bell portion of the envelope of a long shank (orsmall bell) lamp, while a holder designed for lamps with the longest Shanks (or smallest bells) is not penetrated suciently by the short shank (or large bell) lamps for-them to touch the'center bottom contact of the socket. A compromise holder fails to work with full satisfaction using lamps of either extreme. Under whatever circumstances or specifications such lamp holders were being constructed, it is apparent that tolerances had to be very accurately held in order to furnish a product which would accept the lamp or range of lamp sizes or'which it was designed. It is an object of this invention therefore, to provide a lamp holder capable of readily handling reiiector nood or spot lamps of varying shank lengths or bell diameters, and which accordingly requires a minimum of accuracy in manufacture with corresponding reduction in cost.

In order to achieve the foregoing object the invention includes a lamp holder comprising a cup in which the lamp socket is floatingly mounted and resiliently urged away from thev cupv opening.

Another object of the invention is the attainment of theforegoing objects without complication-and preferably with simplication, of the assembly procedure employed in fabrication'of the lamp holder. This object is effected intwo forms lof the invention by-providing a single large helical spring surrounding the socket and assemblable therewith.

Another object of the invention in one form thereof is the provision of an assembly which can be inexpensively produced without machining or tapping operations and which is still capable of easy assembly.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an adapter element for attachment to the base of a conventional socket which will convert the same for useas a oating socket in the improved lamp holder.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lamp holding assembly having a resiliently urged floating socket in which the resilient urging of the socket is employed to effect a rm pressure of predetermined amount on the cushioning ring between the lip of the holder cup and the bell portion of the lampI envelope in order to minimize the likelihood of moistures gaining access to the interior of the cup.

Additional features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Inl the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation in central section of a lamp holder according to the invention and illustrating a lamp` positioned therein.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the retaining ring member used in the device of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modication of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. f

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l and illustrating still another modification of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line T-l of Fig. 6.

InY the preferred form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 3, the lamp holder comprises a cup l0, preferably cast as a single unit, and including the integral depending ear l2. The cup l0 is hingedly mounted by means of said ear l2 on the usual hollow support bracket I4 by means of the. bolt I6. Bracket I4 and ear I2 are hollow, and provided with communicating apertures to accommodate the electric conductors I8 leading from the lamp socket in the usual way. The lip of the cup l0 is ared at 20 and provided with a lamp seat in the form of a cushioning ring 22 of soft or resilient material designed for engagement with the bell portion 24 of the envelope of a reector flood lamp 26 whose contact portion is disposedA in the socket'28. The socket 28 may be of any suitable form to receive the contacting'portion of a lamp 2S, and, asf shown in the drawing, comprises a threaded contacting bushing 30 and a bottom central contact 32, each electrically connected to one only of the conductors I8 by means of which the socket and a lamp carried thereby can be placed in circuit with a source of electrical energy.

If the assembly consisting of the cup I8 and lamp 26 is to be made altogether watertight, the cushioning ring 22 will be made of silicon rubber which will not only withstand the temperatures of the lamp, but will provide a Water-excluding seal against the bell portion 24 of the envelope. Since the cost of the silicon rubber is rather high, it is normally preferable to make the cushioning ring 22 of asbestos fabric. This is also capable of cushioning the lamp envelope and withstanding the heat of the lamp, and provides satisfactory water exclusion for all normal circumstances.

As can be seen in Fig. 1 the socket 28 is not rigidly connected to the cup l but rather has a fioating mounting therein. This mounting consists essentially of the inwardly extending lugs 34 which are preferably cast as integral portions of the cup l0, together with the abutment or retaining ring 36 and the spring 46. The abutment ring 36 is particularly shown in Fig. 3 and has a central opening 38 of a diameter suicient to receive the socket 28 with free sliding movement. The periphery of the ring 36 is notched at a plurality of points 4D corresponding approximately in size and vposition with the lugs 34. It is possible therefore to turn the ring 36 with its notches 40 in registry with the lugs 34 so that the ring may pass to the inner sides of the lugs, and then to rotate the ring 36 so that notches 48 will no longer register with the lugs 34, portions of the ring will come into contact with the inner surfaces of the lugs, and the ring will be retained thereby. Ears 42 are preferably struck up from the surface of the ring adjacent the notches 48 in order to require that the ring be rst pushed away from the lugs before it can be rotated to prevent inadvertent rotation of the ring into registering position with the lugs 34 once it has been placed in the retaining position illustrated in Fig. 2. Ring 36 is also provided with suitable means for engagement by a rotating tool, for example openings 44 which may be used in connection with a suitable spanner wrench or the like.

Placed against the inner surface of the ring 36 Y is one end of the helical spring 46 which surrounds the socket 38. The inner end of the spring 46 is in engagement with the socket or a part attached thereto for urging the same inwardly of the cup I6. In the particular form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an adapter plate 46 is provided and connected to the base of the socket 28 by fasteners such as screws 58. The plate 48 has laterally extending ears 52 for abutment with the inner end of the spring 46. The ears 52 are also notched as indicated by reference characters 54 for free sliding engagement with guide ridges 55 integrally formed on the interior surface of cup I8 in line with the lugs 34 to prevent rotation of the plate 48 and the connected socket 28. A plurality of bosses or lugs 56 are formed in the bottom of the cup IU and extend radially inwardly from the periphery thereof to strike the plate 48 and hold the socket spaced from the bottom of the cup by an amount suicient to provide adequate room for passage of the conductors I8 behind the socket. The parts are so designed that when the adapter plate 48 is seated on the lugs `56 and the abutment plate 36 is seated against the inner surfaces of the lugs Cil 4 34, the spring 46 will be slightly compressed between them and will serve simultaneously to urge the socket 28 inwardly and retain the abutment plate 36 firmly against the lugs 34 so that its ears 42 will lock the ring against inadvertent separation of the parts.

.Vhen the lamp 26 is to be installed in the holder, its contacting tip is inserted partially in the socket 28 and the lamp is rotated to thread the tip into the socket 28. At some point before contact is made with the bottom center contact 32 at the socket the bell portion 24 of the envelope of the lamp 26 comes into contact with the cushioning ring 22 and prevents further movement of the lamp to the left. Thereafter the socket 28 moves to the right against the urging of the spring 46 compressing the same and lifting the plate 48 out of contact with the bosses 5B. The spring 48, by urging the socket 28 inwardly simultaneously urges the bell portion 24 of the lamp against the cushioning ring 22 with a predetermined pressure, the value of which depends upon the characteristics of the spring 46 rather than upon the dimensions of the parts of the lamp holder or the tightness with which the lamp is screwed into the socket. In this way a uniform sealing pressure against the cushion 22 is obtained and moisture is more uniformly deterred from entering the interior of the cup I6 in all cases.

The floating mounting for the socket 28 provides for the installation of lamp 26 regardless of marked differences in shank length or bell diameter, and gives uniform results with all lamps regardless of their depth of penetration into the cup.

Additional features of the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are the simplicity of construction due to the absence of tapping and machining operations with no sacrifice of simplicity in the assembly operation. The cup I8 is usually formed as a casting with the lugs 34, bosses 56 and ridges 55 formed integrally on its inner surface. Plate 48 and ring 36 merely require conventional stamping operations for their formation. To assemble the parts, the plate 48 is attached to the base of socket 28 by screws 50, and the conductors I2 are connected to the.

terminals on the base of the socket 28. The free ends of conductors I8 are then threaded by way of the interior of cup li), through an access opening at the bottom thereof near the ear l2 and through the hollow support bracket i4. As the conductors are drawn through the cup, the socket 28 connected to their ends is guided into the cup and rotated to a position Where the notches 54 of plate 48 register with and slide over the lugs 34 and ridges 55, and the socket is finally placed in the bottom of the cup with the plate 48 in contact with the bosses 56. Next, the spring 46 is dropped into the cup surrounding the socket 28, and the ring 36 is thereafter placed around the'socket and in contact with the outer end of the spring, with its ears 42 projecting outwardly and with the notches 48 registering with and embracing the lugs 34. The abutment ring 36 is then pressed in a short distance further to dispose the ears 42 clear of lugs 34 on the inner side thereof, rotated through a small angle using an appropriate tool to disalign its notches 40 with the lugs 34, and then released to complete the assembly of the holder. Disassembly for purposes of inspection or repair is as easily accomplished by -merely reversing the process.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modification of the invention in whichthe operation 'isidentical with that shown in Figs'. 1 and 2, but wherev certain manufacturing and structural changes are. introduced. In Fig. 4 `the lamp holder `consists-.of a cup which comprises a shell ma with a lamp seat in the form of a sealing ring 22 .and having an integral internal abutment ring'36a. and. guide ribs 55a. Instead of having an integral bottom member like the form shown inFigs. 1 and 2, the shell Illia is provided with a removable closure plate 58 held against the smaller endof the shell by suitable fasteners suchas screws G ntted .into suitable threaded.- openings in the ends of ribs 55a and 51a. Preferably a thin 'ring or sheet of gasket materialA 62. is introduced between the closure plate 58 andthe end` of the shell'l lla `to provide a watertight seal at the'joint. The socket 2B has attached to its Vbase by means of screws a modified adapter-member 48a'. The adapter member'llafA has ay surface which seats rmly against the bottom of socket 28 and includes abutment wings 52a which extend laterally into position to receive the thrust of springy t6 as shown in Fig. 5. The wing'portions 52a are also provided with edgeA portions designed for sliding engagement with the surfaces of ribs 55a., 57a` to prevent rotation of the socket assembly in the holder as particula-rly shown in Fig. 5. The face of the adapter member opposite to that which rests against the socket 28 has axially extending feet 56a which space the socket sufficiently from the inner surface of the closure member or an overlying gasket sheet to provide room for passage of the conductors i8. The spring 45 is disposed between the xed abutment ring 36a and the abutment wings 52a on the adapter 48a, and operates in the same fashion as in Figs. l and 2.

The device of Figs. 4 and 5, while requiring some machining of the seating surfaces for gasket 62 and tapping operations for the screws 60, is still very simple and economical to assemble. The assembly steps consist essentially of mounting the adapter d8a on the base of the socket, connecting conductors I8 to the socket terminals, placing the spring 46 around vthe socket, and dropping the socket and spring intothe shell a from the rear end thereof. The closure plate 58 and gasket 62 are then put in place over the small end of the shell i lia and depressed r to bring the surfaces into contact and slightly compress the spring 46, whereupon the screws 60 are driven home and the assembly is complete.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent still another form of the invention which employs a plurality of small springs in place of the large spring 46 shown in the other forms. The holder comprises a shell Illb with the lamp seat or sealing ring 22 at its lip and closure attachment lugs 64, 66 adjacent the small end thereof. A cover` plate 58h is secured against theend-of the shell Hlbby fasteners such as screws 6019 which are threaded into the lugs 64, 66. RigidlyV connected 'to the cover plate 58h are a plurality of axially extending rods $3 each of which has an abutment or head- I@ at the end remote from the lcover plate. The socket member 28h is formed with or has attached thereto a plurality of feet equal in number to the rods 68 and disposed in corresponding positions about the socket 23h. The feet consist of spacing portions 'l2 which hold the socket out of contact with the cover plate 58h or overlying gasket 62h, and guiding and abutment ears or adapters 'M which extend radially beyond the socket peripheryrand are?aperturecitlr:receive-thel rods 68 to slidably; mountY thefsocket thereon';Y Anhelical spring 16 is disposedaround'xeachirod fandl'extends between the abtumentstorfheads 1170 and vears 14.' The springsa'IS aredesignedrto have a The operationof` the deviceof Figs; 6 and '7 is generallyV the same as: that described for `they previous forms of the'Y invention although the manufacturing andrassemblyprocedures are of necessityA somewhat different. .In particular it should be noted vthat 'socket 28h, springs v16 and headed rods-68 are assembled on cover-plate58b before the same is connectedr4 to shell-10b. Gasket B2b, if the same is of sheet form` as shown, will also be placed just prior to the other-assembly stepsmentioned above;` Connection of conductors I8r to the terminals. ofsocket-Zb will preferably be made prior toassembly, but can also be made after the socket 28h isy on the closure plate 58h bycompressing.` springs v'16, inserting a retaining block'between ythe socket and closure plate, and using offset-tools'for the-terminal screws. The closure plate 58h, socket 2812, and attached parts thus constitute an assembly which can beeasily connected to thef end'of the shell lb by screws 60h.

-From the foregoingdescription itv will be seen that the invention provides a lamp holder'for reector-ood lamps. which is-capableof adapting itself to lamps with substantial variation in dimensions such as shank length, and belldiameter, and that this valuablefflexibility has rbeen providedin a sturdy structure of such simplicity that it canbe made and assembled withno sacrifice of economy. There is alsoprovided a novel-means for providing apredeterminedpressureagainst the 'cushioning .ring at the vIrion-th of the holder to insure an intimate contact therewith without danger of excessive strain` on the lamp envelope. A further novel feature provided bythe invention includes-an adapter whichmerely attaches to the conventional socket basefand provides for attachment-of the l'socket to' the retracting spring as well as preventing rotationf.of1the socket in the. holder to permit threading of a lamp'therein. In one form ofthe invention,'this adapter also includes means for 'spacing thesocket froml the bottom of .the holder. cup to provide conductor access thereto.

Variations and modincationsi mayv bei-made within the scope of the claims' and portions-of l:the improvements may be used without-others;

I claim:

l. A lamp holder comprising acup having a lip` adjacent its opening` engageable with aportionV of the envelope of ailamp toibe mounted in the holder; a lamp socket `movably mounted in said cup with its `.opening directed'ftowards the cup opening; `an-abutment-l on-Hsaid ysocket adjacentk its inner end; vstop =.lugs integrally formed on the interior of said cup; a removable abutment ring .having a diameter sufficient lto overlap the ends of all the stop lugs and having external notches corresponding in position to the position of said stop lugs, whereby said ring may be rotated to register said notches with said lugs to pass over the same, and be rotated out of registry with said lugs to lock the ring in place and prevent its passing over said lugs; and a helical spring disposed between and en- 7 gaging said socket abutment and said abutment ring, and surrounding said socket for urging said socket away from the cup opening.

2. A lamp holder comprising a tubular case having a closed back end and an open front end and having a lamp seat adjacent its open end engageable with a portion of the envelope of a lamp to be mounted in the holder; a tubular socket for a lamp, having open and closed ends, said socket being mounted for axial movement in said case with its open end directed towards the open front end of the case; projections on the interior walls of the case, disposed between the ends thereof; an abutment ring surrounding the socket and having peripheral portions engaging said projections, said ring being held against forward movement thereby; and a helical spring surrounding said socket to the rear of said abutment ring and engaging the latter and the closed end of the socket, said spring resiliently urging the socket away from the opening of said cup to maintain the envelope of a lamp mounted in the socket, in continual engagement with the said lamp seat, and said abutment ring being turnable out of engagement with said projections for removal of the ring, the spring, and the socket from the case.

3. A lamp holder for use with a tapered reector-ood type lamp, comprising a cup having a mouth substantially smaller than the maximum diameter of the lamp, said mouth having along its edge a cushionning ring engageable with the tapered reflector portion of the lamp at a point substantially midway between the front and rear of said reector portion when the lamp is positioned in the cup; a lamp socket mounted for axial movement in said cup, with its opening directed toward the cup opening, said socket having at its inner end an outwardly projecting abutment; a helical coil spring substantially larger in diameter than the base of the lamp, surrounding the socket and at one end engaging the abutment of the socket; a projection disposed on the inside of the cup substantially midway between the mouth and bottom of the cup; and means positioned between and engaging the said projection and the other end of the spring, providing a stop against which the spring acts to urge the socket to a deep position in the cup, said means being movable out of engagement with the projection and being removable through the mouth of the cup, the relatively large diameter of the spring producing a soft spring action which with the relatively small diameter of the contact between the lamp and the cup mouth facilitates screwing the lamp in or out of the socket.

4. A lamp holder comprising a cup having a lamp seat adjacent its opening engageable with a back portion of the envelope of a lamp to be mounted in the holder; a lamp socket movably mounted in said cup with its opening directed towards the cup opening; an abutment on said socket adjacent its inner end; a projection on the inner wall of said cup, positioned between the lamp seat and said abutment; and yieldable means disposed between and engaging said abutment and projection for urging said socket away from the cup opening to maintain the back of the envelope of a lamp mounted in the socket, in continual engagement with the said lamp seat, said yieldable means being insertable into the cup past said projection for positioning between the abutment and projection.

5. A lamp holder comprising a cup positioned with its bottom at the back and its opening at the front of the holder, said cup having a lamp seat adjacent its opening engageable with a back portion of the envelope of a lamp to be mounted in the holder; a lamp socket movably mounted in the back of said cup with its opening directed forwardly towards the cup opening; an abutment on said socket adjacent its back end; a projection on the inside wall of said cup, positioned between the cup opening and the socket abutment; a second abutment positioned against the back of said projection and removable forwardly past said projection and through the opening of the cup; and a helical spring disposed between and engaging said abutments and surrounding said socket for urging the socket away from the cup opening to maintain the back of the envelope of a lamp mounted in the socket, in continual engagement with the said lamp seat.

6. A lamp holder comprising a cup positioned with its bottom at the back and its opening at the front of the holder, said cup having a lamp seat adjacent its opening engageable with a back portion of the envelope of a lamp to be mounted in the holder; a lamp socket movably mounted in the back of said cup with its opening directed forwardly towards the cup opening; an abutment on said socket adjacent its back end; a projection on the inside wall of said cup, positioned between the cup opening and the socket abutment; a second abutment in said cup, said second abutment being removably mounted therein, and engaging said projection, and being prevented from moving forwardly by the projection; and a helical spring disposed between and engaging said abutments and surrounding said socket for urging the socket away from the cup opening to maintain the back of the envelope of a lamp mounted in the socket, in continual engagement with the said lamp seat, said spring being removable forwardly past the said projection in the cup.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 in which the second abutment comprises a ring surrounding the socket, said ring having a notch in its periphery and being turnable to align the notch with the said projection for removal of the abutment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,557,555 Buchanan Oct. 20, 1925 1,910,348 McKay May 23, 1933 1,978,115 Roper Oct. 23, 1934 2,046,184 Saaf June 30, 1936 2,396,998 Garstang et al. Mar. 19, 1946 2,511,937l Natale June 20, 1950 

